What is a good way to get in the zone

TheNewSharkster

TheNewSharkster

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
When I play league matches or tournaments it seems like the quality of my play improves the longer I play. Ideally I would like to come out of the gate playing at my best speed.

I spend time practicing before I play. Sometimes I do drills. Other times I play some games. What are some good ways to prepare in the short term prior to playing?

Thanks in advance for any input!:smile:
 
The best way I know of to get in the 'zone' is to drink copius amounts of Jose Quervo.
What? You meant the pool playing 'zone'? Let me think about that for a minute and I'll get back to you.

Okay, here's the deal. You can't will yourself into the 'zone'. It's one of those ephemeral things that just comes and goes. I was in the 'zone' my first three One Pocket games today. Banks were a hundred per cent. I was bustin' up the stack and getting shape. The rolls were all going my way. Then, all of a sudden, the so-called 'zone' went away and the ceiling fell in on me.
My advice is to relax and let it happen. Be confident in your skills and as my hometown's beloved Ozark Mountain Daredevils would say, "It'll shine when it shines." :smile:
 
I used to be able to pick up a cue, jump into a match, and hit a high gear from the start. This was when I was about 21. Now, 10 years later, I find that my play, like yours, does improve as time goes on. The problem is, the league I'm in features shorts races ( APA 9 ball), and alot of the times I am just about to get into my zone, the match point spread was too far gone. In an effort to combat this, instead of playing practice games, do alot of stroke drills with some of your favorite shots. The shots you are really comfortable with and hit well, will bring out your stroke. I call them my " zone shots", because after I shoot about 10-15 of them, I am usually about 90% there. I used to play games to warm-up, but i would usually get hooked/snookered for the first 45 mins, and have to give the table up to the bangers who thought they beat me by making the 47 rail 9 ball bank kick shot.
Hope this helps!
-D
 
Dont they have some sort of magic pill or trick :thumbup:

Seriously though I wish I could put my finger on *it*. I have tried practicing before hand. Drinking a shot or two (or not drinking at all). Playing cold. It just seems so random. I'm sure its mostly mental.
 
1. Are you confident? – Few athletes can perform well if they lack confidence on the day. Self-confidence comes from a belief in your ability and technique. Past performances, success and properly targeted training regimes help to build confidence and the knowledge you are up to the challenges ahead.

2. Can you become immersed into the task? – This involves knowing what to focus on and how to refocus when distracted. This also means staying with the present task in hand and not getting ahead of yourself. It is therefore important to determine what is relevant to your sporting performance and develop abilities to focus on these cues (no pun intended).

3. Can you let go of your mistakes? – Mistakes are going to happen in sport but they have to be put behind you immediately. Holding onto the guilt is only going to have an impact on your next move.

4. Does it feel automatic? – Practice can help to develop skills that feel automatic and effortless or a strong memory pattern of a skill. This can allow you to focus on your strategy or your opponent if the activity can look after itself. Some describe it as being on autopilot although I dislike this term as it suggests no thought is involved.

A good read in this area of concern: http://www.peaksports.com/membership/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=175_0_3_14
 
Last edited:
I have that same issue - especially with league. I might wait 2 hours after league starts before my first (and usually only) game. And by game, I mean ONE rack of 8-ball. I typically play my other teammates on another table once in a while to stay connected, but yeah. I can't usually walk in off the street and run out.

I read somewhere that what can help is to try and focus your mental game while watching the other teammates play as if you were at the table. Put that 'zone look' on your face and block out the rest of the bar and just focus on the match being played. I've found this to help me quite a bit when I've been sitting too long and it's my turn to play.

If I know I'm playing first, then on the drive to the bar, I'll mentally play a practice layout or visualize some of my favorite stroke shots so my brain is already sorta "prepped" for pool mode.

Also, I quite drinking caffinated beverages about an hour or two before the match... keeps the nervousness totally away. I only started doing it three weeks ago and so far, each of my games have been consistently better and less stressfull.
 
cmbwsu said:
4. Does it feel automatic? – Practice can help to develop skills that feel automatic and effortless or a strong memory pattern of a skill. This can allow you to focus on your strategy or your opponent if the activity can look after itself. Some describe it as being on autopilot although I dislike this term as it suggests no thought is involved.
Click to expand...

Samm Diep wrote a great little article here on AZB about just that. check it out here: http://www.azbilliards.com/sammdiep/samm12.php
 
TheNewSharkster said:
When I play league matches or tournaments it seems like the quality of my play improves the longer I play. Ideally I would like to come out of the gate playing at my best speed.

I spend time practicing before I play. Sometimes I do drills. Other times I play some games. What are some good ways to prepare in the short term prior to playing?

Thanks in advance for any input!:smile:
Click to expand...

I'm a slow starter too - it's from not playing enough.

It's a lot easier to stay in dead stroke when you play a lot and play others all the time. For us working stiffs, especially with families and so forth, that's a difficult proposition. We warm up slower as we shake off the mothballs, where a player who is always playing is ready to go.

If a tournament is coming up, I try to have an evenly matched couple of long sessions just a day or two before the tourney starts - hopefully at the hosting pool room. I have a couple of friends to "spar" with - our ego's on the line. I try for at least 3 hour sessions in a competitive situation. I usually get a quicker start that way.


Chris

Ps. I don't know if every player experiences "dead stroke" as described by Samm. I certainly do at times - and I believe it is a form of hypnosis or trance caused by concentration and focus. I can feel it get deeper as I play and concentrate and even for several hours after playing as a strange mental sensation, almost like a dream state. I notice that afterward I am relaxed yet wide awake and pumped up.
 
Last edited:
TheNewSharkster said:
When I play league matches or tournaments it seems like the quality of my play improves the longer I play. Ideally I would like to come out of the gate playing at my best speed.

I spend time practicing before I play. Sometimes I do drills. Other times I play some games. What are some good ways to prepare in the short term prior to playing?

Thanks in advance for any input!:smile:
Click to expand...

It's probably different things for each player that puts them into "the zone" as we call it.
For me there are a few things to consider.......
1) Have my life in order.........this means that I can't play if I'm worrying about an argument with my wife or bills piling up on the dresser. There are other things but basically, your mind has to be thinking "only" pool.
2) Think Positive........don't even think about missing. There are times that you will run into clusters that require a safety, think about freezing you opponent to another ball and making him/her kick multiple rails to hit it.
3) Don't let your brain get in the way of playing............by this I mean don't over think your shots. Pool is a simple game, make the ball and get position for your next shot. Plat position to big areas and just make the ball and get onto the next ball.
4) Play till you drop............let your body take over. When you are tired your elbow will get looser. You are less likely to tighten up if your body is tired, this will get yur muscle memory going in the right direction.

Hmmm..........now if I can take my own advice and play more pool, I might get in "the zone" again.:thumbup:
 
There are a some tips that can help you have a better chance to get in the zone, but nothing is concrete for success every time. Unfortunately.... :(

But many tips can help ya out!
 
Last edited:
Oddly enough, I have found that I seem to play at a much better level during the first hour and a half than I do later in the evening, on our league nights. I'm sure it's partially because I'm not actually in a match, but I'll take turns with a couple of the other guys who aren't playing a match, and I'll play as well as I ever do. Making difficult shots, playing good leaves, making good selections. It all seems to come together. I don't know if I'd call it being "in the zone", but as close as I've come.

Then I'll stop and take a turn or two at keeping score, and eventually play one of the last two matches of the night, often the last one. (A few of our teammates can't stay as late, or won't, or both. I'm a bit of a night owl, so it doesn't bother me to stay. I'd be there to the end even if I played first.) While I've been doing reasonably well for a beginner, I don't feel like I'm shooting nearly as well as I was during that first hour or so.

It's quite strange.
 
I have been reading a few books about the mental side of sports and a technique that I have read I think is very basic yet very effective.

Sit in a comfortable position staring at a spot on a wall or whatever catches your eye (as long as it doesnt move!). Now count back from 100 to 0, then 0-100, then 100-0 again but this time taking away 3 (e.g. 100, 97, 94, 91 etc) and then 0-100 in 3's. Ive found this effective just before I am about to practice. Make sure when you are doing this no-one is likely to disturb you (unless you are very good at ignoring people and concentrating counting). Doing this just before a game settles your mind so when your about to play, you are able to fully concentrate on the job in hand.

I wish I had used it at the weekend for my 2nd event but other things were on my mind and was unable to perform to my ability!
 
Last edited:
It's hard to describe but it sort of comes from one good shot.

Basically one good well-done win right at the start will put your mood up and get you playing at full speed right out of the gate. Maybe not your maximum speed but your normal in-stroke level. To get that one win you might find that when you're at the table, there will be one shot that's sort of a tester, or will need a pretty good stroke to get position, or whatever. Do your damnedest to just nail that one shot and get absolutely perfect. Then convert that shot into the runout and the win.

Not a magic pill but it's close. The feeling you get will carry you for many matches. You'll recognize the shot when it comes up. Stroke it smoothly and purely and at least try to look like you're 150% confident it's in the hole and with perfect shape.
 
The 'zone', for the lack of a better term is not a mood thing. It is not something you can consciously decide on. It is not some existential crappola that is tied in with having your life in order, your taxes paid, or your dog spayed or neutered. You can't will it to happen and there are no tips, helpful hints, or scientific stratagies that will put you there. Samm Diep was pretty much right on this one. It just happens. Think of it as a surfer on a wave. Ride it out until the wave breaks and then play on.
 
TheNewSharkster said:
When I play league matches or tournaments it seems like the quality of my play improves the longer I play. Ideally I would like to come out of the gate playing at my best speed.

I spend time practicing before I play. Sometimes I do drills. Other times I play some games. What are some good ways to prepare in the short term prior to playing?

Thanks in advance for any input!:smile:
Click to expand...

The only thing that works for me is playing for about an hour or 2 before a match. I play better after I play for a while. Can't really call it being in the zone, I just play better later on in the session. I guess totally focusing on the contact point of the object ball would help you zoom in on the shot and filter out everything else. Just let your arm play shape on it's own.
 
well said!!!

cmbwsu said:
1. Are you confident? – Few athletes can perform well if they lack confidence on the day. Self-confidence comes from a belief in your ability and technique. Past performances, success and properly targeted training regimes help to build confidence and the knowledge you are up to the challenges ahead.

2. Can you become immersed into the task? – This involves knowing what to focus on and how to refocus when distracted. This also means staying with the present task in hand and not getting ahead of yourself. It is therefore important to determine what is relevant to your sporting performance and develop abilities to focus on these cues (no pun intended).

3. Can you let go of your mistakes? – Mistakes are going to happen in sport but they have to be put behind you immediately. Holding onto the guilt is only going to have an impact on your next move.

4. Does it feel automatic? – Practice can help to develop skills that feel automatic and effortless or a strong memory pattern of a skill. This can allow you to focus on your strategy or your opponent if the activity can look after itself. Some describe it as being on autopilot although I dislike this term as it suggests no thought is involved.

A good read in this area of concern: http://www.peaksports.com/membership/affiliates/idevaffiliate.php?id=175_0_3_14
Click to expand...


thanks for the useful advice!!! :thumbup:
 
The best and most efficient way of getting into the zone was taught to me by my first Commanding Officer.

Say "POP" really loud, that should dislodge your head from your a$$ allowing you to focus on the task at hand.

GREAT ADVISE!
 
The best things that work for me are:

1) Shoot a couple balls around...not too many...don't wanna wear out the mojo.
2) Drink about 2 beers
3)Listen to my ipod until its time to shoot(in league i will listen to it the whole time I'm waiting...and if in a tourney I will listen to it while I practice)

These things seem to work fairly well. As posted earlier you def have to make sure everything with your life outside of pool is in order or that can throw off your whole game!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top